The Rebel Flesh

"It acts like life but it still needs to be controlled."

Writer: Matthew Graham

Format: TV

Broadcast: 21 May 2011

Series: 6.05

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor, Amy and Rory visit an acid-mining factory. A solar storm hits and turns the workers' Gangers into self-aware individuals, and now the Doctor must meditate between the original workers and the rebellious Gangers.

Verdict

The Rebel Flesh was a great episode to continue my way through the modern era rewatch as we get into the thick of things with Series 6. I liked how things started with a chilled atmosphere in the TARDIS seeing Amy and Rory enjoying a game of darts, but I must say that the quality of their dartboard was pretty atrocious! I'm something of a big darts fan so to see them with a very generic and hard wired board was a shame. I like the idea of the married couple having fun like this in the TARDIS though, and the Doctor soon shifted the atmosphere when asking if anyone wanted fish and chips. Only he could do that as that meant he wanted Amy and Rory gone which immediately raised the suspicions of the former. She wanted to be involved in the other stuff as the Doctor was concerned about the fluctuating pregnancy scan of his companion. Before the conversation could be addressed, the TARDIS was thrust into a solar storm which was exciting action and I liked how the end result was for them to land at an isolated monastery mining acid. It was a unique setting but one I appreciated. I recognised the filming locations immediately as Caerphilly Castle which is only around a twenty-five minute drive from my house and somewhere I've been several times. It's a beautiful spot. I was also intrigued to research later that some scenes were also filmed at Neath Abbey which is the town I spent eight years growing up before university. It's a really homely episode for me! I thought the Doctor was on top form in the episode as he was leaning more towards helping Amy and assuming that she was pregnant by telling her to breath. The way he challenged Miranda Cleaves was superb and I liked that she also stood her ground. She was all about business in wanting to mine the acid regardless of the solar storm that was coming. I thought the stand off with the Doctor was terrific, but it was almost equalled when she came face to face with her own Ganger. That concept was intriguing and I liked that the Flesh was used to combat death that came with acid contact. The calm nature in which Buzzer was knocked into one of the pools was fascinating and a fine way to start the episode. I thought the Doctor's interaction and immediate interest in the Flesh was tremendous and he wasn't adhering to any safety protocols. He got stuck right in. The appearance of the Flesh when they can't wholly maintain their human form is gruesome and I agreed with my girlfriend with whom I watch all modern episodes that they looked pretty horrific. And I mean that in the most complimentary of terms. They were superb and scary. You really would just get of dodge. Rory building a relationship with the Jennifer Ganger was a really good subplot and Amy being shocked that he went off to save her as the Gangers were coming was magnificent. Amy seeing sight of Kovarian this time around was good and I'm liking the build to her true nature being revealed. The stand off that was built towards this episode's conclusion with the humans and Gangers going at it was a brilliant way to set up the second part, only topped by the cliffhanger of a Ganger version of the Doctor! He looked just wrong which is obviously the intention and it's exciting that the Gangers will also have a Doctor on their side. Overall, a fine episode to set up the conclusion to come! 

Rating: 8/10